This disclosure relates to flexible bellows and, more particularly, to a bellows having a convoluted section formed of a nano-grained aluminum alloy.
A typical duct for conveying a fluid from one location to another may include a bellows to facilitate routing the duct around other components or to absorb relative movement between the two locations. Typically, the bellows is formed from a material that is suitable for handling the fluid and withstanding temperatures, pressures, or other operating conditions of the duct. However, in some instances, the complexity of the shape of the bellows may limit selection of the material based on processability of the material. For instance, a nickel alloy may be formed into relatively complex shapes, but conventional precipitation strengthened aluminum alloys require special metallurgical processing to regain strength during and after forming processes, which limits it use for certain specific shapes, such as a bellows.